As soon as Aunt Wen Hongyan opened her mouth about Wen Ying studying in Rongcheng, Wen Ying knew what was up.
These moves weren’t just familiar to Wen Ying, which Wen family member didn’t see through them?
Sure enough, Chen Ru’s brow furrowed.
“Studying in Rongcheng isn’t tough, Wen Ying got in on her own, no hassle for us. What’s with the question, you want to send Shu Lu there too?”
Crazy!
Chen Ru put up with helping her sister-in-law usually, like Wen Dongrong said, the kid was pitiful, shouldn’t suffer for deadbeat parents.
But now her sister-in-law saw someone raising her kid and got greedy, city school wasn’t enough, she wanted the provincial capital?
Wen Ying earned her Rongcheng spot.
Even if she’d bombed the middle school exam, Chen Ru might gripe but wouldn’t stint on cash, it was her own kid, who else would she and Wen Dongrong spend on?
Plus, they had kin in Rongcheng, Chen Ru felt okay letting a teenage girl study there with supervision… her sister-in-law wasn’t planning to dump Shu Lu there for Chen Li to watch, was she?
Forget Chen Li’s marriage hitting the rocks, her life a mess, even before Deng Shangwei’s mess blew up, Chen Ru wouldn’t let her婆家 sister-in-law’s kid burden her娘家 sister.
What, twenty years of slaving for the Wens wasn’t enough, now they wanted her sister dragged in too? Were they trying to bleed them dry?
Wen Hongyan ignored Chen Ru’s fury, prattling, “Sister-in-law, just curious, why the big fuss? Is Rongcheng’s schools just for Wen Ying, not my Shu Lu?”
Wen Dongrong stayed mum, Chen Ru’s anger stuck in her throat.
Who said Shu Lu couldn’t go?
If she qualified, go anywhere!
If Wen Hongyan and Shu Guobing could pay, Chen Ru wouldn’t care if they sent Shu Lu overseas!
Shu Lu set her bowl down, jumping in before Chen Ru blew, “Mom, why ask? We’ve got no cash, school’s the same anywhere, look at Brother Wen Kai, local study, still hit first-tier.”
Wen Hongyan mumbled, “It’s different, or why’d your second uncle and aunt send Wen Ying to Rongcheng? Our family’s broke, if you don’t make it, you’ll be stepped on forever.”
Stepped on by who?
The barb irked even Zhu Meiqun, Wen Ying’s eldest aunt, already stressed over Wen Kai’s repeat year, now wondering if sending him to Rongcheng high school back then would’ve spared this.
Wen Ying eyed Shu Lu and her mom, then her own mother.
She wasn’t dumb, her mom was closer than her aunt and cousin, that was internal stuff, these relatives were a layer apart. Last life, she’d been clueless about Chen Ru’s婆家 struggles, her dad a textbook “phoenix man”—some good, plenty bad.
Money didn’t faze Wen Ying, but now, her dad shouldn’t just sit there, leaving her mom to fend alone.
Bluntly, Aunt Wen Hongyan was eating soft rice with a hard bite, banking on her brother and sister-in-law’s help while souring Chen Ru.
Wen Ying felt a flicker of unfairness.
As the real daughter, she didn’t dare cross her parents while relying on them, only gaining freedom after earning her own, still slinging shrimp at the night market, yet Aunt Wen Hongyan got cash without toeing the line… tsk tsk!
Wen Ying放下筷子, “Auntie, Rongcheng’s got heaps of high schools, if Shu Lu’s grades are solid, doors are open, don’t fret about affording it, she’s got a year before junior high ends, you and Uncle save up, it’ll be ready then.”
Rongcheng’s tuition and costs were steeper than small towns.
But if both worked, no big burdens, supporting a kid there was doable, Wen Hongyan and Shu Guobing had it easy, Grandma Wen was on her sons’ dime, not hers.
Shu’s elders stayed rural, Shu Guobing and Wen Hongyan split care with other Shu kids, he just tossed in some grain and oil yearly.
Too bad Shu Guobing was a bust, only Wen Hongyan earned, making Shu Lu’s Rongcheng dream tough.
Wen Ying spoke plain truth, but it pierced Wen Hongyan’s sore spot, she felt jabbed, tears welling up publicly.
Her crying was thunder without rain, claiming Wen Ying scorned this side of the family, favored her little aunt and uncle, warning her not to turn snobbish young.
“If that Deng guy hadn’t messed up, would your uncle be like this? He’s bitter, drinks to cope, now even kids point at his failures, next gathering, don’t call us!”
Eldest Uncle, today’s host, bristled, “What rubbish, where’d Wen Ying err? A grown man with hands and feet not working, drinking all day, he’ll ruin himself…”
Wen Hongyan’s tears were fake, Shu Lu’s, head down, were real, pride stung.
Seeing her niece cry, Eldest Uncle eased off, the Wens pitied Shu Lu, stuck with lousy parents.
Shu Lu’s tears forced Wen Dongrong to speak, “Wen Ying, apologize to your aunt, adults talk, not your turn.”
Chen Ru hadn’t expected Wen Ying’s support, usually, she was clueless to the family’s hidden knives.
This time she stepped up… had Rongcheng’s rich kids sharpened her?
Chen Ru nodded, “Yeah, apologize, kid’s got no filter, some things aren’t yours to say.”
Wen Ying nearly laughed.
“Auntie, sorry, my bad, I was clueless, didn’t get Uncle’s woes, let him stay home drinking, as for Shu Lu… she’s so smart, Rongcheng or not, she’ll shine, unlike me, a slow bird needing good schools and teachers to push me, I envy her sometimes.”
Shu Lu and Wen Hongyan were stumped.
An apology, sure, but why’d it sound so off?
Stay home drinking?
Envy Shu Lu for what, no tuition cash?
Before Wen Hongyan could retort, Wen Kai’s door flew open, speak of the devil, Shu Guobing staggered in, bottle in hand, flushed, swaying, grumbling they ate without him, plopping down, barely hiding glee, whispering loud, “Heard the news? That Deng guy’s in trouble!”
